Tefilah: Waking Up Jewish

Gazing through Windows

“My beloved is like a gazelle or like a young hart; behold he stands behind our wall, he looks in the windows” (Shir Hashirim 2,9). This beautiful verse refers to Hashem’s close relationship with the Jewish people. He constantly watches over us and has been with us at every point in our history.

The Hebrew word for “the windows” (“hacharakim”) can also be read “five windows,” because the first letter of the word, hei, not only means “the” but has the numerical value of five. This refers to the five windows that Hashem gazes through to view am Yisrael, His beloved children. Where are these five windows that Hashem peers through to watch over us?

While reciting Birkas Kohanim, the kohanim hold out their hands in a way that they create five openings with their fingers (Shulchan Aruch 128,12). Chazal reveal that the five windows hinted at in the above verse are these gaps. While the kohanim recite their blessing, the Divine Presence gazes fondly at us through these five openings (Bamidbar Rabba 11,2).

Text Copyright © 2011 by Rabbi Daniel Travis and Torah.org